Melting the ICE: How you can help your community

By Chiara Santopietro

FOR THE MAJORITY of America, 2026 has begun with fear and uncertainty. ICE, or the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has gone on a flurry of raids all across the country, kidnapping innocent people and murdering citizens. If you’ve turned on the news in the past couple months, you might have heard the names Renee Good, Keith Porter, or Alex Pretti. These are only a few examples of the brave Americans that have been killed trying to defend their community against the wrongful actions of ICE agents.

What ICE has been doing has caused tremendous fear for people living in America, especially those in densely multi-cultural areas such as Los Angeles. Though many protests and strikes have occurred in recent weeks, it can still be easy to feel as though there’s not much you can do to protect your community. However, there may be more opportunities to help than you might think.

Perhaps the most important thing you can do to help your community is to share “Know Your Rights” materials. These materials consist of ways for immigrant families to stay safe when encountering ICE agents. They have the right to remain silent, lock their doors, and so much more. These rights can be found on many websites such as immigrantsrising.org. Because some families might not have internet access, you can also print out pamphlets and documents from these websites to physically give to them.

In addition to this, there are various hotlines throughout the country that can be contacted and notified of ICE presence in your area. The hotline for Los Angeles is 888-624-4752. It is crucial that if you encounter an agent, you report it to the hotline. This is vital in saving the lives of those that are endangered. In the event that someone you know is detained, you should write down their name and information so that their family and loved ones can be notified.

Many families are also in need of basic essentials. It has become difficult for many people to go to stores to buy items such as food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies. You can donate these items to a local shelter or directly to those affected. It might seem like a small gesture, but it greatly helps those who need it.

If you are a Mount student, there are additional resources available to you. At the end of this article, you will find a link that leads you to an MSMU page that lists your rights and immigration resources. You can also sign up for Mount alerts, which will send you a text message or an email if ICE is near campus. These resources are incredibly helpful when navigating your college experience in such a scary time.

Above all, it is crucial that you support those who are being affected by ICE. This is a worrying time for many, and being a listening ear to someone may help them more than you think. The actions of ICE in America are deplorable and disgusting, and they have no place in areas such as Los Angeles, where we accept everyone, regardless of race, background, or ethnicity. While these times can seem dark and scary, it is important that we remain a community. After all, everyone knows ICE melts in Los Angeles.

• You can find Immigration resources - California, National, DACA & Undocumented Students - on MSMU here.

• The National Immigrant Justice Center has a Know Your Rights: If You Encounter Ice toolkit here.

• Los Angeles County Office of Immigrant Affairs has a site with many Know Your Rights resources here.